Secret Origins (1986) 2

Secret Origins (1986) 2

May 1986

Echoes of Future Past

by Len Wein, Gil Kane, John Costanza, Anthony Tollin, Julius Schwartz

The first half of this issue tells the story of how Dan Garrett became the Blue Beetle. He was on an archaeological dig in Egypt when he and one of his colleagues were buried in a pile of rubble. They escaped thanks to the blue beetle scarab which he found in the tomb of Kha-Ef-Re. Dan transformed into the Blue Beetle by saying the magic words, Kaji Dha.

Ted Kord, a student of Dan Garret, years later, asks the professor for help. Ted was working for Jarvis Kord, his uncle, when Jarvis was killed in an explosion. Ted suspects that his uncle is still alive. Ted asks Dan for help. He thinks he knows where his uncle is and he fears he knows what is planning to do.

The two men travel to Pago Island where they learn that Ted was correct. Jarvis Kord is still alive and planning to take over the world using mechanical men. Dan and Ted work together to stop Ted’s uncle.

Jarvis ultimately commits suicide and destroys his creations rather than admit defeat. Dan is also killed but he before he dies he tasks Ted with carrying on the legacy of the Blue Beetle. Ted returns from Pago Island and builds himself the tools he will need to be the Blue Beetle.

Thoughts

I really like the look of this story. Gil Kane does a great job with the visuals.

Dan Garrett first appeared in the golden age. His comic books were regularly published throughout the 1940s. He disappeared during the 1950s and returned to publication in the mid-1960s. The Ted Kord version of the character was created by Steve Ditko in the 1960s for Charlton Comics. The Charlton heroes were purchased by DC Comics in the 1980s.

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) first appeared in a DC Comics comic book in 1985 in Crisis on Infinite Earths 1 (Apr 1985). Secret Origins 2 is his first appearance post-CoIE.

This isn’t a groundbreaking pair of stories but I enjoyed this issue. I like it a lot more than I did the previous one. I’m not sure it would have sold me on buying the first issue of Blue Beetle which hit the stands the next month.

Secret Origins of Secret Origins

by Bob Greenberger

This page-and-a-half text piece explains the origins of the Blue Beetles. I’m not sure it gets all the facts correct, for instance there is no mention of the the fact that Ted Kord first appeared in an issue of Captain Atom. It does mention Americomics 3 and another early 1980s appearance by the Blue Beetle which were not published by DC Comics.